Do you have an emotional attachment to your DSLR? Design student Brian Matanda says the constant stream of new cameras filled with ever better tech means we no longer feel the same way about our cameras and the images they produce. As such he's created Timeless Capture, a concept digital camera that he claims users would have no option but to develop an emotional attachment to … and there's certainly no switching it for a newer model on a whim.

The Timeless Capture is a camera and touch screen image viewer that strips away common features (not just color like the Leica M Monochrom) in the hope of forcing users to like it. There is no way to review images on the back of the camera, the viewer (which syncs wirelessly) does not allow editing or deleting of images, and there's also no way to copy the files to your computer or any other device.

By trapping your images in the Timeless Capture, Matanda thinks his creation would become a treasured keepsake, differentiating it from other digital cameras, which he says are designed to become obsolete. "The inspiration behind the functionality was to create an object that could not be disposed of," the 24-year-old told Gizmag. "An object that would have incredible amounts of personal value embedded at the heart of its use thereby making it irreplaceable."

Taking design inspiration from retro cameras and slide viewers, the Timeless Capture uses a combination of sand blasted aluminum and polished teak, which was laser cut to shape. The camera part features just two buttons, an optical viewfinder and lens with a
somewhat chunky aluminum lens hood. The viewer sees a 3.2 inch screen mounted in the center below an LED to show when images are being transferred.

Inside the concept camera, Matanda used parts from a 7-megapixel Vivitar – which featured auto-focus and image stabilization – along with a 4 GB wireless SD card and three AAA batteries. The viewer was made from a hacked Samsung Galaxy Spica GT-i5700 running Android 2.2.

Describing how Timeless Capture works, Matanda said: "The captured images are immediately downloaded directly to the viewer wirelessly once the camera is in close proximity. The images cannot be transferred onto a computer or any other form of hardware that would allow the user to reproduce them. The aim is to have the images exclusively between these two devices in the hope that this would 'make' the user appreciate the value of the product more as they build up over time."

There are currently no plans for commercial production of the Timeless Capture … unsurprisingly.

Simon is a journalist and photographer who has spent the last ten years working for national UK newspapers - but has never hacked a mobile phone - and specializes in writing about weird products and photography technology. When not writing for Gizmag, Simon is often found playing with LEGO and drinking far too much coffee. All articles by Simon Crisp

What if the emotion is revulsion and disgust, or a feeling of being abused and manipulated by a camera that won't let you download or share your photos? Or a feeling of anxiety on the worry of losing your photos?